Character Creation
This page will guide you through the making of your character sheet. This section is intended for people who are not experienced at making character sheets, but might also be helpful if you are new to the world of Thorns. For reference while creating your character sheet, you should also read our Rules for Character Creation. It is assumed throughout this guide that you are familiar with the world of Aventus. Reading through the In-World Wiki will help you get better acquainted with the setting. Please do not RP with a character until your character sheet has been approved by a moderator. Conceptualize! The first step to creating a character is to imagine what you want out of your character. In general, what sort of character do you want to create? Think about their morality, motivations and personality in the broadest of terms. This will help you create the rest of your sheet. Characters come into being in many different ways. Some spring from the woodwork of your mind fully-formed, while others begin as a single seed of an idea that grows into a complex being. Some are carefully planned in order to possess an intentioned set of traits. Whatever the origin of your character, they should embody some sort of concept. Every character has a story behind them; even if nothing interesting has ever happened to them, that's a story in itself! The story might not be a traditional narrative. It might be the simple conflict of a man without a conscience, or a woman who believes herself to be too timid, or a boy seeking to grow into a man. It might be a complex story, riddled with self-doubt or anger; it might be a positive tale about a character with many good qualities who has been handed a lot of trouble through no fault of his own. A good character is the embodiment of at least one central idea. A strong concept is one that will provide a framework for self-propelled stories. While an RPG is dependent on cooperation and people working together to create stories, it is desirable to have a character with some obstacle to overcome, some internal conflict to sort out. In the midst of cooperative storytelling and the story arcs you will participate in, you can build on your character's personality, letting them grow organically. The concept behind their personality will enhance every story you participate in. Choosing A Race There are so many races through the Magic world, sometimes it can be a bit daunting. However, in Aventus, only a few are acceptable; humanoid planeswalkers are the only types allowed on this plane. Any other type of planeswalker would be ousted early and probably would have walked before the gate closed. Character Biography Your character's life story is the most important part of character creation, because not only does it show the events and decisions that led to your character's current status, it shapes their personality and worldview. Without a strong backstory, a character will have no sense of purpose in the world, and readers will have difficulty understanding their motivations. A backstory is especially helpful in play-by-post RPGs because characters seem to appear out of nowhere, jumping into stories without introduction; with a good backstory, readers who are entirely new to you will have a clear picture of where your character came from and what they're all about. But backstories don't necessarily have to be long or eventful. There's no need to write an entire book about your character before you even begin playing him. In fact, it might be good to save some of those story ideas for roleplay! The purpose of a backstory is not to make your character fully established, but to set him up so that he can be where he needs to be, so that he can begin his real story (in the game). The roleplay becomes the defining time in your character's life, like the events in a novel usually are to the novel's main character. When writing, try to be detailed and clear. We're looking for about three normal-sized paragraphs, but you can write more or less as long as you get all the ideas across. At the very least, your backstory should contain your character's place of birth, parentage, former occupations and any events that might have shaped his or her personality. Effective Events As previously stated, it is not necessary to jam-pack your backstory full of exciting action. Indeed, some of the most effective backstories set up characters who thus far have not been involved in much excitement, and this might provide the motivation for them to look around for it - Bilbo Baggins is a classic example of such a character. But certain events can help shape characters into the individuals you wish them to be. Traumatic events like the loss of a loved one, a terrible injury or a great disappointment can spur on both negative and positive character development. Fortunate events, such as the birth of a child or falling in love, can give characters something to live for. A spiritual awakening or a great revelation might also be the key to shaping your character. Plane of Origin Everything is open to you when it comes to planes! All of the canon Magic planes are acceptable, and creating your own unique home is encouraged! Because of the unique nature of Aventus, all of the player characters are new to this world and it is not their home; because of this, we all start on equal footing, no matter where the point of originaltion lie. Things to Avoid While Writing Backstories Don't get too bogged down in writing every detail of every event. It isn't necessary to write a thesis paper on your character's life, especially if it hasn't been incredibly eventful. It's painful for casual readers to slog through paragraph after paragraph of laborious description when all they're looking for is a simple explanation of what's happened to your character in his life so far. When you start writing dialogue, you've gone too far - save the intense prose and write an actual story! It will be much better received. The backstory is simply not the place for that much writing. Conversely, don't be too sparse. Even if nothing of note happened during your character's formative years, it's worthwhile to focus on a few significant events or whatever it is that your character latches onto when asked about their past. Some people like to include mysteries in their backstory that their character is searching to explain. (For example, "searching for the man who killed my father.") However, it generally pays to have a character that's looking to the future rather than into the past. If your character is still tied down to looking for her father's killer, it's going to distract from any new storylines you might form in collaboration with other people. It's also going to cause headaches for the mods as they struggle to fill in the gaps you have in your story. If you absolutely must have a mystery in your past, please do not make unraveling it the focal goal of your character. Finally, try to avoid backgrounds that are overly cliche. Your Character's Goals Now that your backstory is complete, take a second to reflect. What does your character want most of all? Where do they want to go, and what do they want to do? What are their plans for the immediate future? The mods are going to want to see short-term goals as well as long-term. (This section should be in paragraph form, not a list.) Personality and Attributes Writing your character's biography will probably have given you a clear picture of their general personality. The significant events of a person's life will always shape the individual they become, and fictional characters are no different. Picture everything that has led to the present state of your character. How would your character have developed, given those circumstances? Try to give your character a variety of believable traits, ones which play off of their backstory and make sense given their life choices. For example, it wouldn't make much sense if a character had lived a happy life with his family and yet was bitter and resentful of his parents for no reason whatsoever. A character who abhors violence would not be likely to become a mercenary. Your character's personality needs to ring true to the reader. And while you don't necessarily need to make a likable character (some of the best characters are utterly reprehensible), your reader should want to know more about them. Interesting characters have flaws as well as good attributes - and not just "interview flaws", like too trusting. It is advisable to allow your characters to be diverse. A generally grumpy character who treats people badly might make an exception around children. A bubbly and thoughtless girl might prove to be unexpectedly resourceful when faced with challenges. A deep thinker might like to blow off steam by participating in violence, and an amoral ruffian might have a soft spot for his mother. Think about how quirks and unexpected traits can set your character apart from others and flesh them out. In addition to describing your character's personality, you can use the Personality and Attributes section to talk about specific skills or deficiencies your character has. Likes and Dislikes This section of the form is mostly for your amusement, as everyone enjoys a bit of trivia, but these random preferences might be good story prompts once your character is better established. Physical Appearance A detailed description is useful for setting your character firmly in your reader's mind. In the Physical Appearance section of the character sheet form, you should include the basic aspects of your character's appearance - height, weight or body type, and skin, hair and eye color. Be sure to mention any unusual details that would distinguish your character from the masses, such as any distinctive markings, tattoos, deformities, scars or even an unusual taste in dress. Your character's physical appearance is probably not of paramount importance, but you may want to be detailed in your description lest an artist wish to depict them in a visual medium. In this section, try to write in the manner of a storyteller rather than someone describing a suspect to the police. Try to give more than a mere visual impression of the character to the reader. A character's appearance will usually reveal something about them, whether it's a telltale slouch, a scar with a history, or a strange kind of beauty that makes others stop and stare. A word of caution - although there is an alarming tendency to do so within the world of RPGs, there is no need to describe your character's cup size. The Final Check Before submitting your sheet, please check it carefully for spelling and grammar errors. Once you've double-checked everything, proceed to the Character Sheet Form and post your sheet. After you post, a moderator will come along and review your thread. If you have any errors or problems in your sheet, you will get a pm from a moderator asking you to make some edits to your thread. In some cases, major issues with the storyline might necessitate longer revisions. You can avoid problems by researching all the areas covered in your sheet and asking questions ahead of time if you can't find answers on the wiki. After your revisions (if there are any), the moderator will reread your sheet and approve you if everything is fixed. Once approved, you can begin playing your character. Do not begin playing until a moderator has approved your sheet. (You will see an Approved tag next to your thread title if it has been approved.) The Next Step While you are waiting for approval, go ahead and read the Rules for Play. The Player Information section has further information about game rules and policies as well as a helpful selection of tips, FAQs and game terminology.